Health & Safety Signs FAQ / Useful Links

Ten questions
and answers

What is health and safety all about?
Preventing people from being harmed by work or becoming
ill by taking the right precautions - and providing a satisfactory
working environment

Why are there health and safety laws?
Because health and safety at work is so important, there
are rules which require all of us not to put ourselves or
others in danger. The law is also there to protect the public
from workplace dangers.

Do health and safety laws apply to me?
Yes. To all businesses, however small; also to the self-
employed and to employees.

Who enforces health and safety law?
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or
your local authority. For example: HSE at factories, farms
and building sites;local authorities in offices, shops,
hotels and catering, and leisure activities

What do health and safety inspectors actually do?
They visit workplaces to check that people are sticking
to the rules. They investigate some accidents and complaints
but mainly they help you to understand what you need to
do. They enforce only when something is seriously wrong.

Do I have to contact a health and safety inspector to get
information?
No. HSE operates a confidential telephone information service
called Infoline which is open Monday-Friday between 8 am
and 6 pm. You can contact Infoline by telephone 08701 545500
or fax 02920 859260, or e-mail hseinformation services@natbrit.com.
Alternatively you can write to HSE Information Services,
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

Do I need to register my business?
It's likely you will if you employ anyone - contact Infoline
as above question.

Do I need to have employers' liability
compulsory insurance?
It's the law if you employ anyone - and you should display
the certificate. See the free leaflet, Employers' Liability
Compulsory Insurance Act 1969. A guide for employers HSE40,
available from HSE Books on 01787 881165 or from www.hsebooks.co.uk.

Do I need to display any posters?Yes, the health and safety
law poster if you employ anyone. Alternatively you can
provide your employees with individual copies of the same
information in a leaflet.

Useful Guidebook

Risk Assesment

Five Steps to
Risk Assesment

1. Look for the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions
are adequate or whether more should be done
4. Record your findings
5. Review your assessment and revise if necessary

Health and safety regulations require that employers provide
specific signage wherever a risk exists that one is unable
to avoid or control by other means such as engineering controls.
The sign must help to reduce that risk. If the risk is not
significant, there is no need to display a sign.

Employers are also required to maintain the signs and ensure
they are properly visible. They are also required to explain
unfamiliar signs and what the procedure is.